The Tormented Mind
by Child of Order and Chaos
Summary: A young woman wastes her life away, tortured from the event that caused her to go mad from guilt. She meets an awkward yet intriguing girl and is dragged back to the very place she swore never to come back to.
1. Meet the Tormented

**The Tormented Mind**

**By Child of Order and Chaos**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto. I do own my OCs**

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Her true name is unimportant but most people know her as Ai. She's one of those drunken people in the back of the bar. She has no money but pickpockets the occasional passerby when in need to drown the nightmares away. Sometimes, the bartender just gives her drinks for free out of pity. Her faded gold kimono is filthy and torn, her long white hair splotched with mud and dirt and was kept up in a tangled knot. Her face, a multitude of scars from a very unfortunate event crisscrossed it, was the only thing that she bothered to try and keep clean daily(every other night she'd try to wash in the river but the dirt always came back). 

It's a sad thing to say but this poor woman's barely in her late twenties and already she wastes her life away. As well as that she was one of the best ninjas in her village, which she's lost memory of through her drinking and sorrow. Even though she refuses to kill herself, she has clearly killed any love she had for herself.

Ai's story begins as soon as she ends the lives of two men. The sun was just over the horizon, signaling morning, at least for Ai. Arising from the old cot she slept on, she stepped out from her makeshift home in the alley and onto the empty streets. The village she presently lived in was small, secluded from most of the world. But it was popular with gamblers and tourists. In this part of the year it was particularly low with those two groups of people and the street reflected the fact.

Sighing as the rays of the sun hit her, she stumbled through the streets to the local bakery, which was always open early. The baker, seeing his regular visitor, purposely left three loafs of bread on the counter before placing the rest at the other side of the room. When he turned back, the loaves were gone and Ai was jogging away with them in her arms. On her way to the bar, she quickly ate one of the loaves and put the rest under her kimono. She made it to the bar and went inside even though the sign said it was closed. The bartender allowed most of the regular crew to come in early and stay late.

Walking over to her usual spot in the corner, she sat down and held her head. Ai's memories began to return and tears began to fall. She began hearing the screams from that day as she ordered her drink. When the bottle of sake was put in front of her she immediently started to drink. Ai let out a sob and hit her head against the table. As the morning became noon and as noon became night, Ai successfully drowned out the memories. Her face told everyone she was very drunk, some men looked at her with sly grins but didn't say or do anything. One man and his friends, new to the town and didn't know Ai, chatted to themselves.

"She might be good for me, what do ya say?" the leader asked his posy.

They agreed, but the bartender who over heard them didn't. He walked right up to them.

"Now I'll give you a fair warning, sirs," he growled. "Ai is not the type to go off with men-"

"She certainly looks like it!"

"And if you lay a hand on her I'll report you. Poor girl has enough troubles without men trying to get a night out of her!"

The bartender stalked off, purposely failing to tell them what she does to men like them. They only grinned and planned out what they would do.---

The poor woman stumbled out of the bar, the moon's rays shining on her and illuminating her path. She wiped her puffy red eyes, trying to stop crying. As she came to her alleyway, a man grabbed her arm.

"Hi there, dear lady," the dark man said with a sly smile. "Is this your home? Lovely place. Do you mind showing me around?"

Ai's expression suddenly turned from sorrow-filled to one of emotionless hatred. She ripped her arm from his hand, grey eyes glaring. She turned to leave and go back to the bar when three more men appeared while the other man grabbed her in a choke hold. She growled angrily. The man laughed, a signal for the others who came closer. Ai began shaking with fury as they dragged her to the alley, touching her in places they shouldn't be touching. But as soon as one of the men kissed her, he let out a scream and ripped away from her.

The rest of them looked in horror as a dismembered tongue was held between her teeth. Ai spat it out and sank her teeth into the man who was holding her in a choke hold's arm, ripping out a chunk of it. He roared in pain and attempted to break her neck but she elbowed him in the ribs, which cracked from the force. When his grip loosened she swung around and stabbed his neck with the kunai that was hidden under her sleeves. Turning to the other men, she lunged at the closest one. Then as he aimed a punch at her, she disappeared.

As he looked around, panicked, a hand burst from the ground and yanked him down by the foot. Ai came out of the ground, looking furious as she stared at the man, whose head was the only thing above ground. She lifted her foot up and stomped on his head, the crunching of his skull echoing in the alley. Turning to the other two, she growled.

"Get out of the village, and be thankful you have your lives."

The unscathed man nodded frantically, helping up his friend who was clutching his bleeding mouth. When they left, Ai gave a sigh and hung her head. She turned to her home and began to gather up her personal belongings and the tent she called a house. She was soon finished and ready to leave the blood-splattered alley, holding the large bundle of her things under her arm. She stepped back out to the streets and wandered away from the town. On the outskirts, she made herself a temporary home under a tree. She'd move back as soon as the town calmed down from the ruckus she caused, if she caused any at all. ---

Early afternoon the day after next, after building a fire, she began to stew a rabbit she managed to kill and added a few herbs. Ai just continued to stir the stew until the heard something in the bushes behind her. Quickly, she ran in front of the bushes, grabbed whoever it was, and threw them against the tree.

"Owie!!"

Ai twitched. A girl about thirteen slid down the trunk of the tree comically before hitting the ground. She calmly walked over to her and looked down on her.

"What do you want, brat?" she growled.

The girl looked upside-down at her with bright green eyes. She grinned, embarrassed.

"I was just...um... err-hoping I could join you for lunch?"

Ai stared at her emotionlessly before turning around and checking on the stew. The girl got up an followed her. She looked over her shoulder at the stew. Then began drooling. Ai was already annoyed at the girl for even coming here now, as drool landed on her shoulder, she became mad. She pushed the girl back, pointing at the town. An obvious gesture for her to leave, which is exactly what the girl didn't do.

"Sorry, I get really hungry when I smell good food." she said, wiping her mouth. "I'm Mai, Wakai Mai."

Ai ignored her once again. Mai looked at the stew then at the woman. She began to talk like it was her last day on the planet.

"Well, I'm also from Kusagakure. I like to eat. Scratch that, I love to eat! Eating is my favorite hobby! Besides researching poisons and making smoke bombs, that is. My favorite food is _blah, blah, blah, blah, blah-_"

Ai twitched. Somehow, she knew this girl wasn't going to leave so soon.

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**I hope this was an okay first chapter. R&R please.**


	2. Convincing the Unwilling

"-and then I punched his teeth out! Blood came out of his mouth like a fountain, which was both gross and cool! Do you like fountains? I mean water fountains. I LOVE fountains! I like to run through them and-"

Ai sat quietly and swallowed the rabbit stew. The Mai girl had her a bit amazed with her ability to talk for an hour without stopping. She had also found out a lot of things about Mai, some she'd rather have not know, like: her love to feel the ground under her feet, which was also her reason for not wearing any sort of shoes, that she doesn't mind being bald because she wears her beanie that sports her forehead protector, and many other things. 

Mai was beginning to have a blue tint to her cheeks, so Ai slapped her hand over the younger girl's mouth. Mai gave muffled shouts of protest.

"Breathe, you brat." Ai stated, taking her hand away.

Mai inhaled, the blue tint fading away. She grinned at Ai and grabbed her bowl of slightly warm soup(she had forgotten about it when it was served a half hour ago). Her mouth opened wide and the bowl was emptied in one gulp. Ai stared.

"So, who are you?" Mai asked, scooping more stew into her bowl.

Ai didn't answer. Her face had paled and her eyes were half closed. She stared off into space, as if remembering something Mai frowned and poked her arm.

"Hello! I'm talking to you, ma'am!" she said in annoyance.

Ai shook her head, her mouth moving and muttering words Mai couldn't hear. Suddenly, she smacked her upside the head. When Mai complained, Ai said she should learn some manners. Mai pouted, slurping the broth of the stew loudly. Ai's eye twitched in annoyance.

"You didn't answer my question. Who are you?" Mai repeated.

"Most people call me Ai. Now will you leave!"

Mai looked hurt, her eyes getting big. Ai stood, walking back to her tent. The girl followed silently, so silently in fact that you would have thought she was just an illusion. The woman spread out her bedroll, smoothing it out. Mai sighed and sat next to the entrance of the tent.

"Truth is, I have no clue where I am right now or where I'm supposed to be going. I was following my cousin and his team to where they were taking the Chuunin Exams. I lost track of them a day ago," Mai rubbed her head sheepishly, looking as if she was talking to the flower in front of her rather than the woman inside the tent. "I kind of need a little help getting back on track."

Ai came out of the tent, carrying a few blankets. She began setting them on the ground. Mai watched with little interest. Soon, a bed was made. Mai looked at the bed then at Ai. The woman just stared blankly back at her. Getting the silent message, Mai gave a loud cheer and punched her fist in the air. As she danced around, Ai watched.

"Just like Atsumori..." she muttered.----

Mai happily helped make dinner in the evening. Unfortunately, she was doing more burning than cooking. She surprised Ai with how dangerous she was around fire, nearly burning down the tent, not to mention both of them and the forest as well. Ai gritted her teeth as she hung Mai's clothes to dry, throwing out the badly burned bandage wraps. The young girl now wore a kimono that Ai managed to steal from a woman's laundry while she wasn't looking. 

"I'm sorry, Ai," Mai sniffed, wiping away a tear.

Ai didn't say a word but only finished cooking. She put the food, noodles to be specific, into bowls and handed one to Mai, who took it happily.

"So are we leaving tomorrow?" Mai asked.

"Yes."

"Great! I can't wait to make it to Kohana!"

The sound of a bowl smashing echoed in the sudden silence. Her hands now cut with the broken pieces, Ai shook uncontrollably. Mai scooted back, frightened by the woman's reaction. She asked in a hushed tone if Ai was okay.

"No, no, no, no, NO! NEVER AGAIN!"

Ai shrieked and ran away from the camp, leaving Mai in a state of bewilderment. The girl looked sadly after her, hoping she would come back.---

Running through the forest and climbing up a tree, Ai sobbed and buried her head in her arms. Anger soon swelled within her. She swore she would never go back and she was going to keep that promise. That girl would have to go on her own. Her face once again became an emotionless mask as she looked at the setting sun. 

"Are you really going to let a girl that young travel by her self to Kohana?"

Ai looked beside her. A young boy was frowning at her, the plant on his shoulder seemed to snarl too. She frowned and waved him away. The boy didn't leave, only crossed his arms and stared Ai down.

"Get over it, Ai! Quit torturing yourself!"

"How can you heal from an event that destroyed most of which you held dear? Answer me that, Saru, and quit acting as my conscience. You did that enough when you were alive." 

Saru growled in frustration and turned away from her.

"Mai needs you to help her right now. Why can't you do that?" he asked.

Ai didn't answer.

"Ai, look, just listen to the voice of reason and everything will turn around. All that you need to do is go to Konoha. No need to stay there, just go then leave."

She continued to watch the sun set in the horizon. Saru had disappeared when she looked back for him, probably now deep within her mind once more. Ai traced her fingers along the scars on her face, wincing at how they still hurt even now. Maybe she should go back and face the past. Saru had never been wrong before, even if he was now just a figment of her twisted imagination. Sighing, Ai slowly made her way back to the camp. 

Mai stayed a fair distance away from Ai when she came back. But after the woman said she had made up her mind and they were leaving in the morning, Mai hugged her tightly and jumped around until Ai yelled at her to go to sleep. Mai obliged. As they slept, Ai couldn't keep from crying silently in her nightmarish sleep.


	3. Making it to the Group

**The Tormented Mind**

**By Child of Order and Chaos**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto**

**Additional Notes-Forgive me for the long delay. I have just gotten a new computer and it's taken a while to get it to the point where I could run my writing program on it. Again, I'm sorry for the late update.**

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It was early in the morning when Ai got up. The sun had not even risen yet. Mai was snoring away, sprawled out on the blankets that made out her bed. She had most of her old clothes on, showing she had changed into them some time during the night. Ai walked over and kicked her lightly. Mai just groaned and mumbled, rolling onto her side. Ai frowned and knelt own, shaking her. Mai still slept away. As Ai was grabbing her arm to drag her to the stream, she heard a growl. Her head snapped to Mai, who was snoring soundly. Her forehead, though, was what caught Ai's attention. It had a small cut on it, and though it wasn't bleeding it was slowly increasing in length. It stopped after a moment at the center of the young girl's forehead. Ai moved her hand to it, tracing it. Suddenly she felt her fingers touch something sharp. When she pulled away they were bleeding. Apparently she wasn't the only one who had a secret to keep. 

Not bothering with it anymore, she dragged the sleeping girl towards the stream and shoved her head under the water. She flailed wildly and smacked Ai a few times. Ai dragged her back up, receiving a soppy wet glare. She then dragged Mai back to camp and forced her to help pack up.

----

"This bites, Ai! Why do I have to carry the heavy junk?!"

Ai looked over her shoulder. Mai had the tent on her back, along with the cooking supplies that they had. It was actually her suggestion that they bring it along, Ai wanted to leave it. The older woman sighed and turned back, answering that if she didn't want to carry it she should have left it. Mai snorted and ran up next to her.

"So where are these people you're looking for?" Ai asked.

"Err... I know that they'll take the fastest way to Konoha, if it helps any."

Ai looked at the ground blindly, thinking about possible routes they took. She snapped her fingers in confirmation and told Mai their next stop was the village after the river. Mai groaned at the thought of getting wet and grumbled even more. They journeyed on until they reached the river. The river itself was wide, moving swiftly and seeming to be daring the pair to cross.

"Leave the tent, Mai."

"Eh?"

"I said leave it."

She looked at her questionably but, with a bit of relief, threw the tent and cooking supplies to the ground. Ai then suddenly picked Mai up. Of course she began protesting.

"Shut your mouth and get on my shoulders."

Mai obeyed and as soon as she was situated on the older woman's shoulder's, Ai began to cross the river. The water's coldness bit her as she waded deeper. The current seemed determined to knock her down and drown both of them but Ai kept moving. Soon, the water level reached her neck and Mai felt uneasy about the current, showing it by digging her nails into her head. Ai knew her fear and quickly tried to get to higher ground.

"Ai-sama, I don't like this! I want down!"

"Mai, we're almost there, just hold on."

Just then she was grabbed and yanked to shore, Mai taken off her shoulders. She looked up, face contorted in a readiness to attack if needed, and was almost surprised. A slender man with long black hair was looking at her with a smirk. Mai was cheering at another and hugging him.

"Mai, what are you doing here?! Kii's probably having a stroke right about now!" the man said, scolding the young girl.

"Probably!" Mai said with a grin. "But he needs to lighten up anyway! I'm so glad we found you, finally!"

"I had a feeling you were following us..."

Mai giggled. Ai blinked and asked what was going on. Mai turned around and smiled wider.

"These are the men I was looking for, Ai-sama!"

---

"So she dragged you along for the ride as well, huh?"

Ai nodded and sipped her tea. She was now sitting with the Grass ninja, who had(somewhat) kindly allowed her to stay with them. Mai was clinging to the man she called Kane, who looked a little exhausted. She kept telling him about how "cool" Ai was, not even noticing that the older woman and her cousin were trying to have a conversation. Then she got bored and walked off.

"Seems she's taking a liking to you." Kane stated with a chuckle.

"Seems so. I don't know why, though. I hardly have spoken to her at all." Ai said, her tone hardly changing.

"Well, she trust easily. Yes, it may be her downfall one day but it's one of her greatest aspects."

Ai sipped her tea. A woman came up to her with a bundle of clothes.

"Here's a change of clothes. Mai said yours were badly damaged, but I didn't know how badly." she said, looking at the filth Kimono with distaste. "You should go wash up as well. There's a waterfall not to far from here."

Ai took the change of clothes, bowing to the woman before heading off in the direction of the waterfall. When she came back, she was now in a dark forest green kimono. She looked less filthy, with no dirt in sight on the woman. As she walked back to camp, she tightened the bandages on her arm and wrists. Mai appeared from the bushes, knocking Ai to the side.

"Ai-sama! I need to ask you something!"

"If you would kindly remove yourself off of me, I'll let you tell me."

Mai grinned apologetically and got off of her. Ai stood and brushed the grass off of her. She crossed her arms, waiting for Mai to ask her for whatever she wanted. Mai looked to the ground.

"Since Kane's not gonna be able to train me while the Chuunin Exams are going on, I want you to stay with me to train me!" Mai shouted proudly, smiling broadly at Ai when she finished her 'question'.

Ai looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Surely she didn't like her enough to want her to train her. Asking her if she truly wanted her to train her, Mai nodded vigorously. Ai sighed.

"I'll... think about it. I'll stay with you until we get to Konoha. That's where I'll tell you my answer."

Mai frowned, giving a grumbled 'fine' before sprinting back to the camp. Ai looked after her and sighed once again. She shook her head. _Defiantly too trusting..._

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**I will try better next time to make a longer, better chapter and update more quickly. Hopefully you still like this chapter.**


	4. The Ghost from the Past

**AN: An update. Finally...**

**Disclaimer: I only own Ai and Mai.**

---

_Blood flowed in streams around the young girl's battered body. Her white hair dyed a crimson, five deep slashes on her face were bleeding profusely. Her fists were tightened into balls and she jerked, screaming in pain as more pain came. Acid-like substances sizzled on her skin, flames burnt it right off, many sharp scalpels sliced the skin and pealed it off slowly with hooks and chains. _

_Make it stop, __**make it stop**__**MAKE IT STOP!!!**_

Ai screamed, though it was hardly a scream at all as the sound coming out quiet, hoarse, and raspy. It was a mistake to even attempt a scream, though, as it caused her to cough violently, blood slipping past the corners of her lips. Mai, sleeping beside her, muttered and groaned before rolling over. The older woman looked around. She was still in the camp. Not in that horrific place... She shook her head, clutching it tightly. Ai got up slowly and silently left for the waterfall.

When she got there, the moon in the sky reflected down upon the water. The pool glowed slightly from what little light the sliver orb in the sky had to offer. Ai folded the hem of the kimono, raising it up just under her knees. A familiar boy appeared, leaning on a tree trunk. Saru looked at her with concern.

"Another nightmare?" he asked. "You should really get that mind of yours checked. Maybe they can even fix your drinking problem."

"Go away. I don't want to talk with you right now." Ai snapped at him.

She took off her shoes and unwrapped the bandages off her feet and shins. She hissed in slight pain as they became exposed to the sightly chilled air. She caressed a scarred foot before allowing herself to dip both feet into the water. A pain shot up her legs but Ai kept her feet in the water. Saru walked over next to her and sat down.

"So, which one was it this time? Was it the one where we were first captured? Or maybe it was about that one g-"

"Saru," Ai growled lowly, turning her head to him. "I don't want to talk about it. Now please LEAVE!!"

She yelled out the last word with venom and fury. The boy looked startled but snorted all the same. He told her he'd be back, then disappeared.

Unknown to Ai, who was wrapped up in her own thoughts, her young companion was watching silently from behind the bushes. Mai observed the older woman, wondering what had just happened. Deciding not to spend any longer in the area, she ran back to camp.

---

Ai hated the travel. She hated the nosey group-members who wanted to pry why she had come along. She could barely contain her anger and by the time they got to Konoha, she expressed her dislike for them. Ai clenched her fists tightly and followed after Mai. _Why did I ever agree to this?! _She growled mentally. _**Because you have someone who depends on you. **__Oh shut up, Saru._ While she had the mental battle between herself and her mind, Mai had decided to check out the village.

Wandering off, Mai found the place quite lovely. She stopped for a quick bowl of ramen before continuing the tour, where she met a boy with blonde hair eating there. He more or less ignored her the whole time, so she decided to leave. Then she stopped at one of the training grounds in the area to watch one boy train. She bit her lip then decided to introduce herself. She walked over.

"Hi!" she said, waving.

The boy turned. He wore a green body suit with orange leg warmers.

"Hello," he said, smiling and eyeng her headband. "I guess you are here for the Chuunin Exams, right?"

"Nope, but the people I came here with are!" Mai stuck her hand out. "I'm Wakai Mai!"

"I am Rock Lee!" Lee shook her hand fiercely.

Mai grinned.

"Nice to meet you, Lee!"

"Mai?" came a familiar voice.

She turned to see Kane.

"I think you should go help that woman friend of yours... She just disappeared." he said.

Mai's eyes widened and she quickly looked to Lee. He only blinked back at her.

"Sorry to leave at the start of a conversation! Maybe I'll see you later! Bye!"

And with that she took off.

---

Ai breathed heavily and with strain as she gulped down a cup of sake. Her memories were not letting her think clearly, making her tears stream faster than before. She slumped against the table, not caring if people were watching. _Please just make them stop..._ she let out a sob as she thought this. More of the memories she fought so hard to bury flooded back to her. Ai was sure she would go even more insane. She suddenly felt someone touch her, shaking her gently.

"Miss, are you okay?"

The voice sounded familiar. Though Ai couldn't quite place where she had heard the person before. She lifted her head, staring into the empty seat in front of her.

"I'm... fine..." she said, choking back sobs and whiping her eyes.

"Are you sure?"

Ai continued to stare in front of her. Then after a moment she nodded. She heard the person leave, heavy footsteps going back to wherever he came from. Ai let her head hit against the table once more. But she couldn't help taking a peak at who had asked.

Her eyes widened and she shook, trying to hide her shock. She'd recognize him anywhere, though she knew he wouldn't ever realize who she was. Not after this long and certainly not after what she had done. The black bob-cut hair, the green spandex suit, and leg warmers. When she saw him glance at her over his shoulder, she looked away, now too shocked to even cry. She had forgotten _he _was here. And there was no doubt about who it was.

It was the dreadful ghost of her past.

The man who once held the place as her closest friend.

He was Maito Gai.

---

**Cliffhanger, sorry.**

**Next chapter will hopefully be longer and updated quicker.**


	5. The Calm before the Storm

**Disclaimer: I only own my characters.**

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"AI-SAMA!! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Mai ran through the unfamiliar streets, dead lost but continuing her search for Ai. Sure, she had panicked a little(if you call running around in circles screaming a little) but nothing too outrageous. She looked about, entering various shops to see if the older woman was there. Sadly, she was not.

She nearly screamed with joy when she finally found her but cried out when she saw the state. Ai was sitting at a table, her top half laying on it. Even passed out, you could see she had tears running down her face. Mai ran to her, shaking her.

"Ai! Ai-sama! Wake up!" she said, panicking.

Ai didn't move, breathing being the only sign she was not a statue or corpse. Mai decided to try and get her out of the place. She took one of Ai's arms and put it over her shoulder, heaving the woman up while ignoring the pain in her spine. She managed to get five feet from the table when she collapsed. She glared at Ai.

"You're heavy! You need to lose weight!" she said.

Of course, Ai didn't answer. Mai once again stood up and tried her tactic again and, once again, failed miserably. Then Kane came in. He gave Mai a weird look.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm trying to get Ai-sama out of here!" she said, pulling Ai.

Kane sighed and bent down, picking the woman up in his arms. He looked to Mai and jerked his head towards the door. She nodded and followed him out.

--

_Ai hugged herself tightly as she walked through the darkness. She felt more alone than she had ever felt before. It was cold... so cold..._

"_Ai..."_

_Her head snapped to the left, then to the right. Her eyes wide with fear, she began shaking. The haunting voice returned. It was getting closer. Ai tried to run but an invisible force held her feet to the ground and kept her there. _

"_Ai... Ai..."_

_She looked around, her eyes settling upon a boy. A boy who stared accusingly. A boy who continuously bled from the holes in his arms, the burns on his legs, the shredded remains of his chest. He seethed at her, making her whimper._

"_Atsumori." she whispered._

"_Why are you still alive?" he asked. "You should have died with us! Especially after what you did!"_

_Ai fell to the floor, trying to back away, tears streaming down her face._

"_Please... please forgive me..."_ _she sobbed. _

_Atsumori's face suddenly changed, an older boy with brown hair replacing him. He moved forward, a long blade forming in his hand. She screamed at the sight of him and tried to run._

"_Too slow, Ai." the boy said and swung the blade into her neck._

Ai woke up on a bed, her mouth open in a silent scream. She felt terror controlling her actions, making it hard for her to breath. Letting out a whimper, she couldn't hold it any more. She cried and cried and cried, fear that had formed years earlier still remaining.

On the other side of the room, Mai had awoken from her sleep and now watched in guilt. It came from the knowledge she couldn't help her at all. Unable to bring herself to comfort her friend, Mai only prayed silently for her to sleep in peace.

--

It was the day before the first part of the Chuunin Exams. Kane was busy preparing the three taking it and Mai was watching anxiously, wanting to hear how it would go. She tried asking Ai about what goes on during the Exams but Ai evaded the question. This confused the young girl but she let it go. All she cared about currently was making sure she'd remember this stuff for the next exam.

Deciding to go for a walk, she skipped around Konoha. Mai grinned happily as she waved to people she passed by. Suddenly, she slammed face first into somebody. She fell backwards onto her bottom. She glared at who it was.

"Hey!"

The person she ran into and knocked down, a blonde boy, glared at her fiercely.

"You watch where you're going!" He yelled.

"Me?! You shouldn't stand in the middle of the road!"

"I wasn't! You were the one careening to the sides!"

Both snarled and stood, brushing themselves off. Then they went back to yelling at each other, not noticing another boy and a pink-haired girl walking towards them.

"You better pray I take it easy on you when I fight you in the Chuunin Exams!"

"Well fortunately for you, I ain't!" she stuck her tongue out at him. "I'd probably beat you into the ground."

"Naruto!" the pink-haired girl yelled angrily, suddenly coming up behind the boy and driving her fist into his head. "Stop yelling at her!"

Naruto clutched his head in pain, a large lump appearing. Mai blinked then grinned broadly at the girl.

"Thanks!" she said happily.

The girl smiled back.

"You're welcome." she said then looked Mai over. "So, are you in the Chuunin Exams, too?"

"No, though I will next year. Right now I'm just along for the ride." She scratched the back of her head. "I kinda... snuck in with the group... and since there's no one to take me back home, they let me tag along."

Nodding, the girl began to turn away.

"Well, we'll probably see you later if you stay for a while," she said, then grabbed Naruto by the collar and waved to Mai. "Bye!"

Then she dragged Naruto off, the other boy following silently behind them. Mai blinked. _Well that was quick, _she thought. She put her hands on her hips and looked up at the sky. _I'm hungry... Better go eat. _She wandered off, her hands in her pockets.

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**I think this would be considered more or less a filler chapter...**


	6. A Death in the Family

**Author's Note- If anyone knows the names of the three Grass ninja at the Exams, please tell me. It would be a big help.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto. **

* * *

Mai squealed with happiness as she hugged the three Grass-nin, nearly knocking them down.

"I'm so happy for you! You passed the First Exam!" she yelled.

"We can tell you are." the one with long hair said, a smile on his face.

"But don't start celebrating yet."

All four of them turned to see Kane walking towards them, a serious expression on his face. He stopped in front of them, his arms crossed.

"You still have two more tests to go," he said. "And the next one is a very dangerous test. You'll need to keep your guard up at all times. If not, then you might as well put a target on your chest and run around screaming for somebody to kill you."

The three nodded and bowed to him.

"Yes, Sensei."

Kane turned to Mai.

"Kid, you need to train during this time. I don't want you slacking off, even if your sensei isn't here. And you need to be good for Miss Ai. She seems to be having a lot of inner conflict lately and you being a hooligan won't help."

Mai nodded. He waved her away then turned to his three Genin.

"How about we go look around this place?"

--

Kane let out a strangled cry as he was thrown back against the stone. He felt his spine crack and snap in two. He panted heavily, blood spilling out of his temple. His three Genin lay dead on the ground, their blood splashed upon the many large stones that surrounded them. One of the attackers stepped towards Kane, chuckling. Kane forced himself to move and look up at them. His eyes widened with terror.

"You-you're Orochi-"

He was silenced by a metallic sound ringing through the air. His face frozen into one full of fear. Then blood began to seep out of his neck as his head fell to the side, his body following soon after with a soft thud.

The attacker once again chuckled and then turned his sights to the corpses of the Genin.

--

Ai sat quietly as she watched the young girl practice her Genjutsu. It made her wonder how Mai could mess it up so badly she accidently put it on herself, which caused her to go into a complete panic. Ai couldn't help but laugh as Mai ran amuck before colliding into a tree. She stood and walked over, a rare smile on her face.

"You know, you could have just cancled the technique." she said matter-of-factly.

Mai just groaned and held her nose. As Ai turned to go back to her spot, she saw a young woman in a long tan coat and purple hair coming over, looking very upset. She came up to Ai.

"Are you Wakai Mai?" she asked.

Shaking her head, Ai pointed at Mai. The girl got up and brushed herself off, looking up at the woman. The woman, who now looked even more upset to find who Mai really was, bowed.

"I need you to come with me, please." she said.

Mai blinked then followed the woman. Ai watched from the distance. She saw the woman speak to Mai, putting her hand on her shoulder. Mai nodded a couple of times the her face contorted into a quizzical expression. Then it just froze and she turned away. The woman was hesitant about putting her hand on Mai's shoulder, so she just let it hang down. She came back over to Ai.

"You may... want to stay with her for a while..." she said sadly. "I'm sorry."

As the woman left, Ai went over to Mai. She put her hands on her shoulders and slowly turned her around. The young girl had her mouth covered, tears streaming down her face. She shakily let her hand down and looked up at Ai.

"Th-they're dead... They're dead!" she cried out.

Mai grabbed onto Ai, hugging her tightly and just crying. Ai hesitated before slowly wrapping her arms around her. She hugged her back. As her eyes flickered to the side, she could see Saru looking sadly at Mai. This caused tears to form in her own eyes as she remembered losing her own friends.

"Come on, Mai..." she said softly, pulling away. "Let's get you calmed down."

Mai sniffled and wiped her eyes continuously. They then began to walk away, the oler woman's arm around the younger girl's shoulders.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Well, I just can't seem to stop making everything depressing, can I? And sorry if it seems short.**


	7. Old Friends

**Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto**

* * *

Ai was quiet, laying on her make-shift bed of sheets on the floor. Her eyes looked around, not moving a muscle except for breathing. She carefully moved her hand under her pillow. Suddenly, she flipped over, hurling a kunai at the person in the room. The person easily dodged it, landing and skidding to the side. Ai squinted and then she recognized the masked ninja.

"It's been a long time, Ai." Kakashi said, standing up. "And this is how you greet an old friend?"

"H-how did... why are... what are you doing here?!" she demanded, hands shaking as they clutched her blanket.

"I came to see you before I left to train one of my students for the Final Exam. Is that wrong?"

"How did you even know I was here?!"

Kakashi moved forward, his hands in his pockets as he looked down at her. She attacked, throwing her blanket in attempt to block him from seeing her punch. She was suddenly slammed against the wall, her wrist in his hand and his grip tightening. She tried punching him again, but he dodged each one she threw at him. He then tossed her over his shoulder and turned towards the window.

He leapt out, ignoring the kicking and beating he was getting. Ai then drove her elbow into his neck, giving her the moment she needed to escape when his grip loosened. Kakashi grabbed her hair, stopping her in her tracks.

"What do you want with me, Kakashi?!" she demanded, tears forming in her eyes.

"Give Gai back his memories." he answered in a low tone.

She stopped struggling, her eyes widening.

"No... no, I can't! I can't do that! I won't!"

She dropped to her knees, hugging herself as she shook. Kakashi kneeled down, still gripping her hair.

"You stole a part of his life. He didn't deserve to have that taken from him. It was all because you were horrified, traumatized, and scared... And then you panicked."

He released her hair. His hand traveled down until it made it to her arm. He gently pulled it out straight, pushing the sleeve back. His one-eyed look saddened as his fingertips traced the horrible scars that twisted and mutated the skin. Ai yanked her arm away, covering her face with her hands. Kakashi sighed and stood up.

"He still thinks about you." he said, knowing that even though she was silent, she was listening. "When he saw you at the restaurant, he could almost remember. I was with him when it happened."

_--Flashback--_

Kakashi set his chopsticks down, having finished his food. He fished around in his pouch and began to pull out his book. However, as he did he was suddenly slapped on the back. The book dropped to the floor. Sighing, he looked up to see his friend.

"Good evening, my eternal rival!" Gai said, his trademark smile shining a brilliant white.

Nodding to him, Kakashi leaned down to pick up his book. Gai sat across from him.

"So, what shall the challenge be today?" he asked. "Another round of rock, paper, scissors, perhaps? Or maybe arm wrestling?"

"Hm? What did you say?" Kakashi asked, looking up from his book.

Gai twitched and was about to speak when he suddenly spotted something that was behind Kakashi. The masked ninja frowned and waved his hand across Gai's face. Suddenly, he let out a small hiss and put his fingers to his right temple.

"You okay, Gai?" Kakashi asked.

"That woman... I think I know her." he answered. "I just don't know from where!"

Kakashi turned around, eye wandering until it landed on a familiar person. White hair, big bangs, and that glassy-eyed look was all too familiar to him.

"Ai?" Kakashi whispered.

"I think I should go up to her," Gai said, starting to get up and walk over.

Kakashi grabbed the back of his hitai-ate and dragged him back to his seat.

"I don't think you should." he said as his excuse.

"Eternal rival, why not?" a smile pulled at the man's lips. "Is it because you'd rather talk to her yourself?"

Resisting the urge to roll his eye, Kakashi pointed his thumb at her.

"You didn't let me finish. I was going to say that you shouldn't because she may hit you. She doesn't give off that friendly vibe."

"Then this will be our challenge!"

_This is a total repeat of last time..._ Kakashi mentally groaned. He then looked over at her again. He could see her begin to down a sake bottle and he could just barely see the tears streaming down her face. He looked back at Gai.

"On second thought, maybe you should. Just to see if she's okay." Kakashi said.

Gai nodded, his facial expression one of concern. He stood up and went over to her, Kakashi watching carefully. He saw him ask, get his answer, then leave. But then the masked ninja saw her look up. Her face contorted to shock and dismay. He could have snorted. She should have known that if she came back, she was bound to see Gai again. The said man sat back down, sighing.

"I hope there's someone who's taking care of her. I wouldn't like it if she went alone..." he said.

"I'm sure there's somebody, but if it makes you feel better, we can stay and keep an eye on her." Kakashi offered.

Gai gave another sigh, nodding slowly.

_--End--_

Kakashi looked down at the woman. She still was kneeling on the ground, but she wasn't shaking anymore. He turned around, knowing that she would give back Gai his memories, just not now.

"His student is in the hospital," he said. "Gai is usually there watching over him when he's not helping his other train for the Final Exam."

With that, he walked away. Ai remained where she was for a long time. It was a good thirty minutes before she actually moved. She headed back to where she was staying, a plan forming in her mind.

--

"Hurry up, Ai-sama!!" Mai yelled. "Lee's probably dying and you're just walking along slowly! Come on!"

Ai flexed her hands, trying to get rid of the tension and calm herself down as she entered the hospital. Mai was already so far ahead of her, having asked the lady where Lee's room was and then zooming up there. Ai continued to follow, keeping up just enough to know where she was going. When they got there, however, Mai bumped into a tall blue-haired boy, dropping the flower she was going to give Lee.

As Ai began to catch up, she saw Mai and the boy arguing with each other. She also saw the lone flower on the floor. She bent down and gently picked it up. Mai looked over her shoulder at her.

"Ai-sama, could you be so kind to take that in for me while I deal with the big poop-head here?"

"What are you? Three?" the boy growled. "That's hardly an insult, you flat-chested girl."

"Then what kind of a insult is _that_?!"

"You two, if you're going to argue, go outside." Ai snarled at them.

With a glare to each other, both went away Ai sighed and moved towards the door. Her hands began to shake. Taking a deep breath, she slowly grasped the doorknob and opened the door. She tried to steady her shaking when she saw Gai, sitting in a chair next to the bed. The boy who occupied it was sleeping. Ai stepped in, quietly shutting the door. She then went and set the flower in her hands inside the vase near the window, which already held a flower. She backed up, pretending to admire it, though it was only an excuse not to look at Gai.

"Who are you?"

She nearly jumped in fright and ran out the door. She kept her cool (at least somewhat) and glanced over. He was looking at her, waiting for an answer. She looked back at the flowers.

"The girl I'm watching over... she's a friend of his and since she got into a silly little argument, I was asked me to give the flower." she answered quietly.

Gai nodded, then got out of his chair.

"Here. While you're waiting for her, you can sit." he said.

Ai looked at him and shook her head.

"No, it's alright. I can stand."

"I insist. It wouldn't feel right to make a lady stand while I sit. Plus, I can just get that chair over there."

She blinked. Then, with a sigh, she sat in the chair. Gai got the second chair and also sat down. She stayed as stiff as a board, trying not to let her guard down. Then he broke the silence.

"I have a rather... odd question." he said, glancing at her.

"Ask away."

"Why were you drinking so heavily at the restaurant? I was... worried."

Her voice caught in her throat. She quivered, her brain scrambling for an answer. He set his hand on her shoulder, causing her to freeze.

"You don't need to tell me." Gai said. "It's none of my business."

He removed his hand and Ai relaxed a little. She flexed her hands, looking at them. Then after glancing at him to make sure he wasn't looking, she placed her fingers in-between each other, focusing her chakra. As they started to glow, she moved one hand towards Gai.

_Memory Seal Jutsu Relea-_

**BAM!!**

Startled, Ai lost her concentration and jumped, landing on Gai and knocking both of them over. The one who slammed opened the door, a blue-haired girl, ran to Lee's side.

"Oh Lee... I'm so sorry I didn't come sooner!" she cried, sobbing into his bed and clutching his hand.

Ai quickly scampered up, her face flushed. She wanted to go pound her head against the wall for not being quicker. She looked at her hands. _I'll have to do it later... when there's nobody else around..._ She turned back to Gai and held out her hand.

"Sorry about that..." she murmured.

"It's fine," he grabbed her hand and helped himself up, giving her a sparkling smile.

Feeling her face grow hotter, she quickly let his hand go and turned away. She quickly left without another word.

* * *

**Credit to Kainichi for helping me with this.**


End file.
